Just another Harry stays with Snape for the summer fic
by pluto7
Summary: The Dursleys are dead, and none other but the dungeon bat himself has to take a severely troubled Harry in. How will the two wizards survive the summer? (Title in progress)
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hi! Been a long time since I've posted anything here, so my apologies if my writing skills are a bit rusty. I am terrible with updating regularly, so I also apologize for that in advance. But this is a fic I find very fun to write, so I will continue it.  
Also, English is not my native language so please excuse any grammar faults.

The characters are not mine, I just borrow them from J.K. Rowling because I don't have her creativity or talent:))))))))

Hope you enjoy the fic!

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Snape stared at the old man in shock. Had he heard right? No, it wasn't possible. Dumbledore would never ask this of him. Take the position as potions professor at Hogwarts, yes. Stay a death eater and risk his life spying on The Dark Lord, yes. But this, no. Dear merlin, please no.  
Of course, he didn't voice any of these thoughts aloud, nor show any sign of being affected by the Headmaster's words, other than a neutral expression, a raise of the brow and in the calmest voice he managed;

"Excuse me?"  
Dumbledore, who had expected this reaction, asked the question again.

"I want Harry to live with you for the summer, Severus."  
So he hadn't heard wrong, Dumbledore was really asking this of him. Severus couldn't help but snort at the ridiculousness of it all.

"No", Severus stated easily.

"Severus, please, I-"

"-No, absolutely not! I will not have my summer vacation, the only time during the year I am able to relax without being surrounded by dunderheaded students, ruined by having to look after Prince Potter!" Snape spat the name, disgust dripping from his voice.

"I understand I ask much, however-"

"No, Headmaster! This time you ask too much, there is absolutely no way that I will accept-"

"The Dursleys have been killed." The Headmaster finally said, his voice now stern and the twinkle in his eyes gone. This shut Severus up quickly, the only reaction was his eyes widening. When Dumbledore saw that Severus was finally listening, he continued.  
"Because Petunia Dursley and Harry share the same blood, the blood wards have protected Harry from Voldemort and his followers for years. Not anymore. Petunia Dursley has vanished. She was last spotted at the grocery shop, but she never returned back home. A few hours after her disappearance, the blood wards on Privet Drive fell, meaning that…"

"Petunia Dursley died", Severus finished, resting his head in one hand thoughtfully, letting his hair cover his face like black curtains. Dumbledore tiredly nodded.

"After the wards fell, finding the house became an easy task for Voldemort." Severus flinched but did not interrupt. "They located the house, and when all they found was Harry's remaining relatives, they burned the house to the ground. Sadly, no one survived." Dumbledore grew silent and solemn by the end of his tirade, feeling as old as his age.  
"Harry needs to be protected. He needs to be safe. I can't send him to the Burrow, because it would be too obvious. Grimmauld place is inappropriate seeing that I don't want Harry to be involved with the order. I, and every other person whom I trust enough to put Harry in their care, except for you, are unable to look after him. Severus, I no longer ask you as the Headmaster, but as an old friend in need. Please"

"I am sorry about Potter's relatives, but I truly cannot do this for you, Headmaster. I stand by what I've said, no." As Dumbledore took in Snape's words, he sighed heavily.

"I must admit I didn't have much faith in convincing you, Severus. Actually, I expected this." At this, Severus felt a pang of shame stab him, and cursed the old man for making him feel such foolish emotions. Well, that was until Dumbledore continued;  
"Despite Harry being Lily's son, I had a suspicion the venom between you and Harry was too strong."  
Snape had to breathe heavily through his nose several times in order to keep his posture, but his next words revealed that the headmaster's words had affected him, when his voice was quiet, but slightly shaking.

"She has nothing to do with this." Dumbledore studied the professor sadly.

"She has everything to do with this, Severus. Her protection of Harry is now gone, and the only thing keeping Harry safe is his friends, companions, even you. Especially _you_. You vowed to protect Lily's son, and that vow has never been needed as much as now."  
Severus was scowling, muttering dark comments under his breath, but if his anger was directed towards the Headmaster, the Potter brat, or himself, he could not tell.

"Fine", he hissed, clenching and unclenching his fists. Dumbledore raised a curious and hopeful brow, a twinkle in his eye shining bright.

"Fine what?" he asked, watching the potions master, who was now taking deep calming breaths, carefully.

"I will babysit the damn boy for the summer", Snape managed to mutter, dragging his hands through his hair in defeat. Dumbledore, to Snape's irritation, did not seem surprised at all.

"Thank you, Severus." Severus abruptly stood up, and turned his heel as he stormed for the door. The words _I am very proud of you, my boy_ just reached his ears, before he slammed the door shut behind him. Damn that old coot, damn the Potter brat, and dear Merlin help me survive this summer, thought Severus. 

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Soooo, first chapter's up. Reviews are loved and extremely appreciated:)))

Hope you liked it.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry stared at the table, suspecting it of being oak. Dark brown, exceptionally smooth, old, and carvings that resembled some language Harry had never seen decorated the edges of the table.

"Harry?" Harry's eyes shot up to find the source of the voice. Dumbledore's blue x-ray eyes studied him softly. Words were coming out of the Headmaster's mouth, but it all seemed so distant. Harry's eyes darted back to the table, as his thoughts overtook him. _"There has been a happening…I am very sorry…disappereance…the wards broke… death eaters… a fire… no survivors…sorry…sorry…sorry."_

"Harry, is there anything I can do?" asked Dumbledore, studying the boy concerned. He didn't like this, not at all. The boy was just sitting there, staring at the table, no emotion in his eyes except…empty. That was the only way he could describe it. "We could hold a funeral, or a memorial if you want."

"No", Harry said firmly, almost harsh. "No, I don't want to be the one making those decisions. I'm not the right person. Aunt Marge should decide what to do next."  
Harry stared out of the window. He knew he wasn't the right person for this task because… well because he hated them. And they hated- had hated him. They had treated him like dirt, like an unwanted dog, like a freak. He had never thought that he owed them anything. But now… now they were dead. _Because of him._ He had caused their deaths. Now he owed them their lives, something he could never give back. Guilt, shame and deep self-loathing overtook him. He unclenched his fists, only now noticing he was clenching them in the first place. His fingernails had dug into his skin and drawed blood from his hands. He quickly hid them.

"Harry, I really am very sorry", said Dumbledore solemnly. Harry looked up at the old man, and yes, he looked very sorry.

"It's fine. I mean, it's not fine, they're dead. But I wasn't very close to them. _I'm_ fine." Harry rambled, before abruptly standing up. He needed to get out of there, get away from those x raying eyes.  
"May I retire to my room? I appreciate your willingness to help, Headmaster, but… I'm fine." Harry continued, his eyes darting around the room, anywhere but Dumbledore's eyes.

"So you've said, Harry", he replied softly, standing up as well. "But it is completely and absolutely normal if you aren't. They were your remaining family, after all."

"I still have Sirius, and Hermione and Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys", Harry said, almost defensively. He refused to feel sorry for himself.

"Yes, Harry, exactly. You do have them, and many more. You are far from alone, never forget that", Dumbledore smiled fondly, but the hint of concern was still evident in his eyes. Harry did not like it one bit. He had overcome so much in the past and he would overcome this as well. He wasn't weak.

"May I leave now?" Harry repeated, not caring if he sounded rude at the moment.  
It seemed as if Dumbledore didn't like the idea of letting go of Harry, but he nodded anyway. The last thing this boy needed was to be forced to talk to the man who was supposed to keep him and his family safe in the first place. Dumbledore flinched at the guilt heavy in his chest as he studied the boy with dark shadows in his expression, far too dark for someone so young.

"Should you need anything, anything at all, come to me or your friends. We are all here for you." Dumbledore urged, holding Harry's shoulder with a firm grip, his eyes boring into Harry's as if willing him to understand.

"I will", the young wizard replied automatically.  
After a few silent moments, Dumbledore nodded and let go of Harry, watching the boy quickly disappear through the door.


	3. Chapter 3

It was with a busy mind full of racing thoughts, and a tornado in his chest Harry left the office. Not wanting to return to the Gryffindor common room (too many people, too many questions), Harry decided to go for a short stroll, hoping to gain some… perspective of his situation.  
Oh what was he saying? The Dursleys were dead and it was his fault, end of story, goodbye, the end.  
His talk with Dumbledore played over and over again in his mind. Petunia was kidnapped and killed. Did she know she was going to die when they abducted her? Did she even know why? What she was dying for, or more specifically who?  
And what about Vernon and Dudley? They had been burnt. Alive. It was a tiny comfort that the smoke knocked them out before the fire burnt them to dust. Suffocation, what a painful way to die. A different kind of pain was clawing it's way in Harry's chest, and he too felt as if he couldn't breathe. His vision was closing in on him, and soon he couldn't see or hear at all. Only darkness and a high-pitched ringing in his ears. Panic. Confusion. Pain. Panic.  
Then he felt something. Through the haze of confusion, was something holding his shoulders. Something real and steady, when everything else was so confusing. Harry felt his breath begin to even out, and his vision clear up. A distant voice penetrated the haze. The dark figure sitting in front of him was holding his shoulders and speaking comforting words. Suddenly realising his ankle was throbbing painfully, he gritted his teeth and blinked harsh.

"That's it, breathe", the figure commanded, and the fact that Harry now could understand him calmed him somewhat. But that voice was familiar.  
"Look at me, Potter." Oh no. Only one person said his name like that. Snape. Suppressing the panic, he looked up at the pale face with that unmistakeable ginormous nose in the middle of it, and dark glowing eyes that was scrutinizing him carefully.  
"What have you gotten into now, boy?", Snape sneered. Harry couldn't help but flinch at the name, and wanting nothing more than to get away from Snape, he quickly stood up. He immediately regretted this, however, as he yelped in both surprise and pain. His ankle was now throbbing worse than ever.  
"Sit down you idiot child", Snape chided, gently pushing Harry back down, giving Harry little choice but to comply. With the delicateness and skill of a potions master, he inspected Harry's ankle, feeling for broken bones.  
"It is not broken, merely badly sprained", he muttered, more to himself than Harry, who breathed heavily to manage the pain better. But it was okay. This was far less than what he deserved...  
"What exactly did you do to your ankle?" Snape asked, chastised. Frowning slightly, Harry realised he had no idea.

"I don't know". The silence that followed was tense and far from reassuring.

"You don't…know?" Snape muttered, closing his eyes as if reminding himself that strangling a student was illegal.

"I mean- I don't remember", Harry stuttered, avoiding eye contact. Snape frowned and studied Harry intensely.

"Really?", Snape said suspiciously. Harry scowled in response, but the scowl soon turned into a painful hiss. As Snape saw this, and how the boy was deathly pale and shaking, he nodded to himself as if making a decision and stood up, before drawing out his wand and levitating Harry.

"Wha-what are-"

"In case your little lump of a brain didn't know, ankles aren't supposed to hurt and if they do they need medical attention", Snape interrupted, a blank, almost bored expression on his face.  
Not in the mood for the Hospital Wing, Harry began to protest.

"I don't think it's that bad, I'm sure I can just like walk it off or something", he stammered, and even though Harry couldn't really see Snape's face he could feel the man rolling his eyes.

"As much as your knowledge in the healing department astonish me, Potter", he sneered. "I do not think this is a damage you can 'just like walk off or something'", Snape answered, with a tone of finality, and Harry knew there was no point in arguing with the stubborn bat.  
It was with a sinking revelation Harry discovered they were not heading for the Hospital Wing at all, but for the dungeons.


End file.
